The Fog Dissolves Into The Storm
by Licht-chan
Summary: Fogclan and Storm's gang of rogues have been caught up in a merciless war for territory for countless of moons. As the hatred between them reaches a boiling point, what happens when the leader of the rogues' daughter falls in love with one of Fogclan's warriors? Follow Blizzardclaw, Feather, and their kits as they try to find peace within the forest they call home.
1. Prologue

_**Characters**_

**Rogues:**

Feather- Gentle faced she-cat with long, blue-gray fur. Has a silky-soft, bushy tail and pale blue eyes. Her paws are a dark blue that match her facial mask. Daughter of Storm.

Frozenkit- Lithe, dark silver tom with black paws, mask, and tail tip. He has the same piercing blue eyes as his father. Siblings are Frost and Mist.

Frost- Pale silver tom with gray and silver markings filling his pelt. His eyes are a pale blue like his mother's and the tip of his long tail is ringed. Siblings are Frozenkit and Mist.

Mist- Long-haired silver she-cat with gray flecks in her fur. Her paws and muzzle are white. She has deep blue eyes. Siblings are Frozenkit and Frost.

Storm- Massive gray tom with black torn ears and pale blue eyes. He is the leader of the group of rogues that has been terrorizing Fogclan. He is the father of Feather.

Thorn- Dark brown tom with amber eyes. He has a long tail and black stripes on his back.

Sparrow- Brown she-cat with white splotches in her pelt. Her eyes are green.

**Fogclan:**

_Leader: _Streamstar- Golden she-cat with brown rings on her tail and green eyes. Leader of Fogclan.

_Deputy__: _Ashcloud- Smokey black tom with blue eyes.

_Medicine Cat:_ Echoflight- Black she-cat with white paws. Her eyes are green.

_Warriors:_

Blizzardclaw- Long-legged silver tom with piercing blue eyes. His pelt has black stripes and swirls in it.

Rabbitpelt- Brown tom with a white underbelly and yellow eyes.

Minnowleap- Small, fluffy she-cat with gray and white fur. Her eyes are blue.

Russetshade- Dark red tom with a black streak of fur running down his back to his tail tip. Has amber eyes.

Lakeshine- Pretty, long-haired, gray she-cat with white paws, muzzle, and underbelly. Her eyes are blue.

Thunderblaze- Dark gray tom with amber eyes.

Yellowfur- Yellow tabby she-cat with green eyes. Streamstar's sister.

Snakefang- Pure black tom with yellow eyes. His fangs and tail are unusually long.

_Apprentices__:_

Tansypaw- White she-cat with yellow stripes in her pelt. Has green eyes.

Hawkpaw- Large, tan tom with blue eyes.

Reedpaw- Silver tom with brown specks in his pelt. His eyes are yellow.

Lilypaw- Light, brown tabby she-cat with green eyes. Her paws, muzzle, tail tip, and underbelly are white.

_Queens_:_  
_

Skypetal- White she-cat with blue eyes. Her tail, paws, muzzle, and ears are a soft gray. Thunderblaze's mate. (Snowkit and Ghostkit)

Brightleaf- White tortoiseshell she-cat with green eyes. Rabbitpelt's mate. (Mousekit, Grasskit, and Boulderkit)

_Kits:_

Snowkit- Pure white she-kit with amber eyes.

Ghostkit- Gray and white tom with blue eyes.

Mousekit- Brown she-kit with a white underbelly and paws. Her eyes are green.

Grasskit- White tom with brown and orange stripes on his legs and tail. His eyes are yellow.

Boulderkit- Brown tabby tom with a white muzzle and yellow eyes.

_Elders:_

Pebblewhisker- Faded, gray tom with yellow eyes.

Fernstep- Orange tabby she-cat with green eyes.

**Prologue****:**

Quiet chirps from the awakening crickets stirred the forest's still air. The sun was lazily lowering in the distance, making shadows relax over the ground. They began taking on every shape imaginable, from a tall oak to a single blade of grass.

The moon made no haste as it began to rise. Stars eagerly followed its lead, surrounding the moon with their twinkling shine. As the air became cooler under Silverpelt's reassuring cover, a she-cat began to stir in her nest. Her long fur radiated a soft glow as the moon's rays peeked into her den, sweeping over her pelt. As one of her opening eyes caught the moon's light, the she-cat stumbled as she quickly rose to her paws. Noticing her imbalance, she slowly sat down, reminding herself not to act so rash. Rising slower this time, she proceeded in stepping out of her mossy nest, stopping only once to give her swollen belly a quick lick. Peering out of her den's entrance, she gave a small sigh of relief to find the forest just as it had been before she had fallen asleep. Calm and quiet. Feeling more confident, the gray she-cat padded out of her den, twitching her whiskers as she turned to the direction she had to travel in.

"Feather!" came a snarl a few fox-lengths away from her den. She stiffened at the sound of the voice but soon forced herself to relax as a large tom slipped out of the thick undergrowth. Turning her head slightly, Feather faced a large gray tom with torn ears, a small reminder of the many battles he had been though in his time. However, age could not be seen in this tom's stone cold eyes as he narrowed them at the she-cat. "Where are you going?" he asked, a hint of challenge in his tone.

"I was only going to check if you had left or not, Storm," Feather lied, her voice as calm as ever as she sat down to face him.

"I told you not to leave your den at all tonight! Especially since a battle is about to occur!" Storm frowned at her in disapproval, his scarred tail flicking back and forth. "I don't want to risk any mange-pelted clan cat finding your scent. What would happen if a cat tracked you down? You'd be defenseless since you're expecting!" he spat. "You can help us fight again after your kits have come. I'm jnot in the mood to lose you in one of these battles like I lost your mother," Storm scowled.

'Just leave already!' Feather thought desperately as she bowed her head. "You are right, Storm. I'm sorry Storm," she faked an apology.

Storm let out a rumbling purr as he gently touched his nose to her ear. "I'm glad you've realized your mistake," he complimented before he began backing away from her. "Now go back into your den and don't dare come out again!" Storm warned his daughter. " Maybe if we're lucky this will be the last battle we have to fight," he said with a laugh. "Then your kits will be able to roam wherever they please since your daddy killed off all those disgusting clan cats who think they own everything," Storm purred proudly as he flexed his long claws in and out of the soft ground. "I'll be a hero soon, Feather. A hero to all of us lucky enough not to have a single drop of clan blood running through our veins! Everybody will think of me as being the most honorable cat that's ever walked in this forest. Maybe you should name your first kit after me. That would certainly be a great honor," he ended with a deranged laugh before pelting away, ferns rustling in terror as the tom sped through them.

Feather narrowed her blue eyes as she watched him leave, hearing an owl hoot out an alarm in response to Storm yowling out for his battle patrol. "You are a fool, Father," she muttered curtly. "Plus I would never dream of naming any of my kits after you, in honor or not," she concluded as she began to stand up. Suddenly the she-cat froze, stiffening as a wave of pain rolled through her. Letting out a surprised cry, Feather quickly staggered into her den, completely forgetting about her run-in with Storm.


	2. Chapter 1

**Hope you guys liked the prologue! :) Here's the first chapter. Reviews and comments are appreciated! Enjoy C:**

Blizzardclaw coughed in disgust as blood trickled down his throat. Surrounding him were cats fighting fiercely with one another. Their screeches and yowls filled the night air with tension as claws ripped through pelts and teeth met bone. A low growl was being emitted from the brown rogue who had his claws in Blizzardclaw's neck, sinking them further in each second. Breathing heavily, Blizzardclaw clenched his teeth tightly before landing a heavy blow on the rogue's head. The rogue snarled angrily as the blow dazed him, his claws loosening their grip on the silver tom's throat. Taking this as an opportunity, Blizzardclaw quickly thrust himself out of the brown tom's grip, his throat searing in pain from the deep claw marks carved into it. The warrior whipped around to face the rogue, letting out a fierce yowl before swiping his claws down his opponent's face. Spitting in fury, the rogue raced away, blood welling excessively around his eyes.

Panting, Blizzardclaw stood with his paws firmly planted on the ground beneath him. His eyes flicked back and forth as he awaited for whichever rogue dared to challenge him next. His claws began to dig into the ground as he observed the scene around him. All the members of his clan's battle patrol were locked in combat with the swarm of rogues in the clearing between the lake and the forest. Amongst them all, Blizzardclaw made out the golden shape of his leader, Streamstar. She was baring her glistening teeth in a fierce snarl at Storm's face. Her golden fur was stained red as blood trickled down her spine from a wound on her neck. Growling, the gray tom rammed into Streamstar, sending them both to the ground. Both spat harsh comments at each other as they viciously shredded each other's pelts with their claws.

"You're going to lose eventually, might as well give up now and move on with your life!" Storm purred as he dug his claws into Streamstar's shoulders.

"Never!" the golden she-cat hissed as she struggled to free herself. "Fogclan is strong and honorable unlike you flea-bitten rogues! We'll kill you all if it brings the end to all these meaningless battles!"

Storm flicked his ears, his eyes casting her a look of hatred. " So be it then, Streamstar. You'll have to kill us all if you want our pleasant meetings to end. I must warn you though, my cats love meeting up with your delightful clanmates. It might take a little effort for your warriors to stop us from visiting!" he laughed wildly before biting into her neck.

Streamstar let out an ear splitting shriek which made Blizzardclaw's blood run frigid. Seeing the deputy rush to her aid, he began to anxiously look for a way to slip away from the battle-filled clearing. Suddenly, Blizzardclaw caught the sight of a fleeing rogue, her tail puffed out twice its size in fear. Reacting quickly, Blizzardclaw used this to his advantage. He let out a fierce snarl as he began to give chase, tearing himself away from his clanmates and the lake as he followed the rogue into the forest. Looking over her shoulder, the young rogue let out a horrified yowl at the sight of the warrior chasing her. She forced herself to increase her speed, soon disappearing into some shadowy undergrowth. Blinded by fear, the rogue had not noticed that Blizzardclaw had stopped giving chase several fox-lengths away. The warrior had stopped between the roots of a large oak tree, panting hard as he tried to catch his breath. Blood still seeped out of his wounds and his muscles burned with exhaustion. His fur prickled uneasily as he realized he could still hear the raging battle beyond the cover of the forest. Letting out a few raspy coughs, he stopped dead as the undergrowth beside him rustled. Barely breathing now, Blizzardclaw slowly turned his head towards the rustling noise.

"Who's there?" he challenged with a frown, hoping he sounded more intimidating than his wounds made him look.

"Blizzardclaw?" A mew answered him as a she-cat slipped out of the ferns.

"Feather! Thank Starclan it's only you," Blizzardclaw sighed in relief as he saw his mate.

The gray she-cat nodded as she padded to his side. Spotting his blood soaked pelt, she sighed. "I don't like when you participate in those fights."

Blizzardclaw tried not to wince as she began to groom his wounds. "I had to," he answered tiredly. "We lost three warriors time and this is the fourth battle this moon! I wouldn't be too surprised if we lost one or more cats in this battle alone!" he shuddered, remembering how viciously the rogues were fighting in the clearing.

"Storm has bees in his brain, Blizzardclaw. Don't you remember when I told you how I tried to convince him that trying to steal your clan's territory was a waste of time? He's too stubborn to listen to anybody. Even his own daughter!" Feather ended with a frown.

"I agree," Blizzardclaw mumbled before staring at her in surprise. "Wait, you're...skinny!" he blurted out in bewilderment. "Why are you so skinny when you're...?"

Feather couldn't help but purr in amusement as she touched her nose to his cheek. "Would you like to meet your kits, Blizzardclaw?"

Blizzardclaw blinked at her, to shocked to speak. Before long, a rumbling purr escaped him, drowning out the noise of the battle. His stinging wounds were forgotten as he brushed his cheek lovingly against Feather's. "Yes, I would love to meet them."

"Follow me then, brave warrior," Feather purred. Silently, she turned around and slithered her way back into the undergrowth, her mate close behind.


	3. Chapter 2

**Here's Chapter 2! A little shorter than the others but the next one is much better :) Thanks for the reviews, Amber342! I love when people comment x3**

"I am most definitely the one who resembles him the most," Frost declared, sitting on top of Frozenkit.

The two brothers had been wrestling in their nest, both their pelts ruffled up and messy from their playing. Frozenkit clawed desperately at the moss in the nest, trying to pull himself out from underneath his brother. With a huff of frustration, he frowned up at Frost. "You probably look nothing like Dad! Mommy said I look just like him! Right?" he asked for support, turning his head to blink at their mother.

Feather was busily grooming Mist's fur, the she-kit watched her brothers argue in amusement. Looking up, she smiled at her first-born. "You do look like your father, Frozenkit, but that doesn't mean Frost can't look like him too."

Frost blinked at their mother before looking down at Frozenkit. "By that she means I look like him the most," he purred in amusement. "Which means I'll be his favorite kit."

"Not true!" Frozenkit exclaimed in protest, rolling over to free himself from Frost. Scrambling to his paws, he pounced on his brother, pinning him to the nest. "You won't be his favorite because you look like a mouse!"

Frost frowned up at his brother, his eyes glaring at him in disapproval. "I'm telling Dad what you said! If you think I look like a mouse, that means you think he looks like a mouse since we both look like each other. Then he'll hate you," he concluded.

Frozenkit looked at him in confusion, trying to process what he said. Mist noticed this and purred. "You've confused him, Frost!" she giggled.

"He did not!" Frozenkit denied, squeaking in surprise as Frost nipped his paw.

Feather shook her head in amusement as she finished grooming Mist's fur. "Enough you two," she meowed, focusing her attention on the two toms. "Come over here, Frozenkit. I have to groom your fur so your father sees how handsome you are. You're next Frost," she meowed, watching as Frozenkit hopped off his brother and trotted over to her.

Mist watched Frost roll over before rising to his paws. "Has Daddy ever seen us before, Mommy?" she questioned Feather curiously.

Feather nodded as she licked at a protruding tuft of fur behind Frozenkit's ear. "He came to meet you all the night you were born. You probably don't remember though since you three were too busy mewling your heads off for milk," she twitched her whiskers in amusement.

Frozenkit licked his lips at the thought of the creamy liquid before asking, "Did he help you name us?"

"Yes he did," Feather smiled. "He had lots of names planned out for you three. I helped him choose the ones that fit best," she explained, nuzzling Frozenkit as she finished with his fur. Frozenkit let out a purr before backing away from her. He padded over to his sister and laid down beside her.

Mist playfully flicked a strand of moss at him before looking back at Feather. "Is Daddy like Storm...?" she asked with a frown.

Frost shuddered as he remembered the gray tom. Their mother's father had visited them for the first time the day before and had interrupted their game of mossball. Storm had purred the entire time he spoke to Frost and his siblings but something about his tone seemed...fake. His appearance didn't help the kits warm up to him either. The tom's fur was littered with battle scars and wounds still in the process of healing. The injuries that had frightened Frost the most were the ones covering Storm's neck. Feather had taught him, Mist and Frozenkit to never attack one another's necks when they play fought. Hadn't this tom's mother taught him to be careful? He sighed as the memories went away. "I don't like Storm..."

"Don't worry little ones," Feather assured them as she reached over to Frost to groom his fur. "Your father is nothing like mine. He loves all of you and would never try to scare you. I even bet when you're old enough, he'll bring you some prey to eat," she purred.

Frozenkit pricked his ears excitedly. "He would! Would he bring us mice and voles and birds?"

"And rabbits and fish and shrews?" Mist chimed in with a purr.

"I'm sure he would," Feather smiled in amusement. "Of course he wouldn't bring all of those things at the same time though. You wouldn't want to get bellyaches!"

"Frozenkit would be the first to get a bellyache," Frost whispered up to his mother. "I could eat all of those things in one day and never get a bellyache!"

Feather purred in amusement, giving his fur a final lick. "I'm sure you could, little one."

Suddenly, Frozenkit rose to his paws with a frown. "I can hear somebody outside our den!" he declared.

Mist and Frost both fell silent, pricking their ears as they heard the undergrowth moving outside their den. Excitement soon began to build up within their small frames. "Is it Daddy?" Mist breathed to Feather, her eyes wide with curiosity.

"I'll go see," Feather meowed, rising to her paws. "The three of you stay in here and don't make a sound. I'm not positive it's your father and it could be something dangerous," the queen frowned. "I'll be right back," she assured them before stepping out of the den.

The three kits huddled silently against each other in the center of the nest as they watched their mother leave. Pelts itching with excitement, they all quietly hoped the next face they would see peering through the entrance would belong to Blizzardclaw.


	4. Chapter 3

A slight breeze ruffled Feather's long coat as she padded out of her den. Carried by the breeze was the scent of a rogue causing a soft growl to escape from the she-cat. Lifting her muzzle, she sniffed the air to find the pathway of the scent. Frowning, she followed it, finding that it lead into the undergrowth surrounding her den's clearing. "Another spy…" she muttered, gazing into the forest.

She knew it was not Blizzardclaw the moment Frozenkit had taken note of the sound outside their den. Feather had warned her mate to never visit her den again since it would lead to his death. Storm had been trying to figure out who the father of her kits were ever since the day he realized she was expecting. Having the suspicion it was not one of the rogues from their group, he had begun sending out spies to patrol around her den after the kits had been born in hopes they would spot the father. If Storm were to ever figure out it was Blizzardclaw, the fate of her mate and kits was one Feather never liked to think about.

Suddenly, the sound of shaking pine needles caught Feather's attention.

"Long time no see, Feather. How are your precious little bundles of fur doing?" purred a humored voice from one of the towering pines above the clearing.

Feather stiffened, recognizing the voice. "I don't know, Thorn. Why don't you come down here and check for yourself?" she growled, frowning up at the tree facing her.

The pine tree began to quiver as if it had an itch. Scrambling down its dark branches was a brown tom, his amber eyes glistening. Reaching the tree's lowest branch, Thorn smiled down at Feather as he wrapped his skinny tail around the tree's trunk. "Your father sent me to come and check on you. "

"I know that's not the reason you're here, Thorn," Feather replied flatly.

"You're right!" Thorn chuckled. He leaped out of the tree, a short shower of pine needles following him as he reached the forest's floor. "I'm here looking for the tom everyone is talking about" he smirked, gazing around at everything but Feather as he padded towards her. "Is he around, Feather?" he asked in amusement. "Your father and I would be very happy if he were here to introduce himself…"

Feather lashed her tail at the tom. Why couldn't it have been any other rogue? It would be impossible to get rid of Thorn! He continued to pad towards her until their whiskers were practically intertwined. Silently, he began to gaze at her, the smirk disappearing off his lips. Feather held her ground but refused to meet his gaze. She knew the only thing being emitted from his eyes was love.

Thorn loved her long before she had met Blizzardclaw. He had always tried to impress Feather by retrieving the softest of mosses for her nest or by sharing the largest pieces of prey he caught with her. She had received his offerings and kindness with gratitude but never found herself having the same feelings towards him, especially since her father _adored _the tom. Thorn was one of Storm's best fighters and he was respected by all the rogues since he had killed a clan cat during one of their territory raids on Fogclan. Storm was sure his daughter would choose him as a mate which made Feather want to reject him even more so just to show his father he was wrong. Around the time she began avoiding Thorn –fearing he would start asking her to be his mate- Feather came across Blizzardclaw by Fogclan's border. At that point on, she never regretted refusing Thorn as a mate though she couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow for the brown tom as they stood there face to face.

Thorn must have really believed he had a chance with her since Storm approved of him and the other rogues respected him. The day Storm announced his daughter was expecting was the day Thorn's heart shattered. Out of grieve-stricken anger, he assured Storm he was not the father. This caused Storm's suspicions to form and also caused Feather to build a den far away from the other rogues. Away from them assured her no one would question her kits' appearances. If anybody questioned her to why she wanted such distance she could just use the excuse of wanting some privacy. Luckily for Feather, Blizzardclaw and she had similar colors in their pelts which made deciphering the father of their kits harder for Storm. What if all the kits just happened to look like their mother and not like their father? Storm knew the help of his spies would insure this possibility would not matter so he didn't have to worry about it. He also knew sending Thorn out as a spy might finally get him some valuable information about Feather's mate.

So there stood Thorn, looking at the she-cat he had wanted to spend his life with. He was still hopelessly confused to why she had not chosen him for a mate. Was it something he said? Was his interest in her just not obvious enough? Though he had not seen her kits yet, jealousy pierced deeply into his heart. Why hadn't things gone perfectly for him? As his thoughts began to fade away, Thorn realized Feather had spoken to him.

"Uh what?" he blinked, focusing his attention back on her.

Feather sighed. "I said leave, Thorn. You're just wasting your time here. You know you'll go back to Storm empty-pawed like the rest of them so why not save yourself the energy and go do something more worthwhile?"

Suddenly, Thorn snarled at her as he remembered the reason he was there. Feather flinched back in surprise and he let out a cackle of laughter. "Spending so much time with mouse-brained kits has caused you to go mouse-brained yourself, Feather!" he ridiculed. "I'm one of Storm's most trustworthy followers so I will not fail my mission no matter what," he growled lowly. "I'm the last spy your father is sending out here. Weren't you aware of this?" he sneered, faking a swipe of his claws at Feather.

Feather stopped herself from flinching again but couldn't help but blink in confusion. "Last one…?"

Thorn smirked. "That's right. For the past three moons Storm has gotten nothing from his past helpers, so now it's my turn. I've been given one moon to find out who's the father of your kits so don't think you'll be able to outsmart me the _entire_ time," he snorted before grinning slyly. "Scared yet?"

Feather's fur bristled as she stood her ground. "Leave," she repeated bluntly.

Thorn rolled his eyes as he began to back away from her. "Fine I _will _leave but not before I threaten you!" he purred in amusement. "I'll give you one moon, Feather. For one whole moon, I'll stall Storm by telling him I think I know your mate is but need more evidence to support it. In that moon's time, you have two options. Either you admit defeat and tell me who it is or you leave the territory. If you decide to do neither of these options, I'll kill your kits," Thorn ended, his lips curling into a snarl. "You should give it some good thinking because you know your father wouldn't mind me killing them," he snickered before vanishing into the undergrowth.

Feather stood there, too shocked to move. She watched the undergrowth open up like a curtain as the tom walked through before slowly closing back up again as he left. Left alone in the silent clearing, she slowly paced around in circles before blinking at her den. Sighing, she mustered up the energy to put on a smile before slipping back into her den. "I'm back, little ones."


	5. Chapter 4

A heavy drizzle was beginning to sprinkle over the forest as the time of sundown approached. The last patch of blue sky was being engulfed by growing, gray clouds which in turn made the forest a darker and gloomier place. Blizzardclaw was trudging through his clan's territory, a squirrel firmly grasped between his jaws. The undergrowth cushioning his steps had become more entangled with the rain and humidity, making the tom's pace slower. As droplets of collected water trickled down a tree's over hanging branch and onto his muzzle, Blizzardclaw silently thanked Starclan. He knew this storm would get worse and would help cover up his scent and trail as he continued his journey through the forest.

Earlier that day, when the weather was still pleasant, he had told Streamstar that he was going hunting. In a way this had been true since the warrior had already caught an impressive catch composed of three mice, a thrush, and two squirrels, but hunting had not been his only intention. Today marked exactly three moons since his kits had been born and he was going to meet them for the first time since the night of their kitting. On one paw, Blizzardclaw was bursting with excitement which caused his fur to prickle. His kits were finally going to get to meet him! But the other paw, anxiety was dripping into his pelt like the rain, causing it to lay flat again. What if he was spotted by somebody other than his mate? He knew just as well as Feather how dangerous it is for him to leave his clan's land and pad through rogue territory. Neither of the group of cats would hesitate to kill their rivals at this point in the war. Each time they collided into battle was guaranteed death for some unlucky cats. Blizzardclaw walking through enemy territory was as good as an idea as a kit fighting off an owl. But eventually he came close to the border.

Stepping out of the forest's cover, the tom stood at the edge of the lake's clearing. On one side of this clearing was the patch of forest he was leaving behind, on the opposite side of this stood the border. His clan's scent markers were the only things keeping Blizzardclaw away from his kits and mate. He set down the squirrel before shaking droplets of water out of his pelt, showering the nearby undergrowth. Blinking his blue eyes, Blizzardclaw gazed around the clearing in silence. Off to the left was the small lake. The common fog his clan was named after was rising slowly out of its water, making the clearing hazy. The grass covering the clearing was still torn and ragged in some areas from past battles. Two more had occurred in this clearing since the night the kits had been born and Blizzardclaw swore he could still scent blood in the air despite of the rain that had now begun to fall, replacing the earlier drizzle.

Confident that he was the only one in the clearing, Blizzardclaw picked the squirrel back up before he began to race across the clearing. He prayed he would not slip on the wet grass as he ran with sheathed claws since using his claws would risk leaving a torn path of earth leading up to the border. That might make the next border patrol suspicious as they passed by. Reaching the scent markers, Blizzardclaw slowed his pace, his fur now dripping wet. Glancing around foxily, the tom leaped over the border, leaving behind the safety of his clan as he landed onto rogue territory. Sighing silently through his nose, he wearily began to pad through the unfamiliar undergrowth, soon reentering the cover of the forest's trees. Stopping beside the base of a birch tree, he tried to remember the instructions his mate had given him when they last saw each other three moons ago. Feather told him there was an abandoned fox den near the border that they could use as a meeting spot. She had said it was near a fallen oak tree which Blizzardclaw soon noticed was behind the birch he was standing beside. Flicking his wet tail, he walked over to the oak and immediately spotted the den carved out between its upraised roots. Setting down the squirrel again, he scented the air and found the stale odor of fox. Grasping the squirrel in his jaws, he slipped into the den, wrinkling his nose at the scent of its past resident. Slowly sitting down, he sighed.

"Time to wait," he murmured to himself as he listened to the rain pattering the ground outside the den. Shaking his wet pelt again, he set the squirrel down beside him. Then he began to patiently wait for his mate and kits to appear.

* * *

Something flung itself onto Feather as she padded back into her den. She gasped in surprise as tiny claws pricked her skin and teeth sank into her ear.

"Frost, wait!" Frozenkit breathed as he raced out of their nest and towards Feather. "That's just Mom, not Dad!"

"Mommy?" Frost blinked, releasing her ear before scrambling off her.

Feather frowned, shaking out her fur. "Frost, what on Earth were you doing?" she demanded, looking down at the tom.

Frost blinked again before he purred. "I thought you were Dad!"

Mist twitched her whiskers in amusement as she sat up in their nest. "He said that's how he's gonna greet Blizzardclaw, Mommy!"

Feather's eyes widened, shaking her head furiously. "That is _not _how you'll greet your father, Frost!"

"But I want to show him how strong I am," Frost pouted with a frown. "To prove to him I'm better than Frozenkit," he explained proudly.

Frozenkit rolled his eyes. "Mouse-brain…" he mumbled.

"Did you find him, Mommy?" Mist smiled at her mother. "Was he outside like Frozenkit heard?"

Feather hesitated before she nodded with a purr. "Yes he was! He isn't coming into the den though," she meowed.

Frozenkit frowned before pawing at his mother's leg. "Why not? Doesn't he want to meet us…?"

"Of course he does!" Feather assured him before nuzzling his head. "Your father just wants to play hide and seek with you," she whispered.

Frost pricked his ears with interest. "Hide and seek?" he echoed.

Feather nodded. "I just talked with him outside. He told me he was going to go hide and we have to find him now."

"We can do that!" Mist purred with a smiled. She scrambled out of the nest and towards her mother and brothers. "We play hide and seek all the time!"

"It'll be easy," Frost agreed with a nod.

Frozenkit purred in agreement before glancing outside. "Wait!" he frowned, padding towards the entrance. His siblings watched his curiously as he peered out of the den's opening. "It's raining," he sighed sadly, backing away from the entrance. "You said we aren't allowed to play outside when it's wet or we might get sick," he meowed, looking up at Feather.

The she-cat hesitated again. "Um, well you're allowed to go outside in the rain just for today. It is for a special occasion after all," she smiled at Frozenkit.

"Let's go already!" Mist mewed, kneading the ground excitedly with her tiny paws. "I wanna meet Daddy!"

"Wait," Feather looked at her. "This special game of hide and seek has some rules I need to explain to you."

"What are they?" Frost blinked curiously at his mother. "No biting?"

Feather twitched her whiskers in amusement. "That's _always_ a rule, little one. These are special rules just for today. For starters, we have to look for your father as a group. No wandering off, okay?" she meowed to them.

Frozenkit nodded. "We won't wander, Mommy! What else?"

Feather flicked her tail as she turned back towards the entrance. "No talking while we search for him!" she whispered. "Blizzardclaw said if you talk, he wins!"

Frost's eyes widened. "But I wanna win!"

"Don't talk then," Feather purred in amusement as she led them out of the den. "Follow those simple rules and I'm sure we'll find him in no time!"

The three kits nodded silently as they scampered after their mother. Feather smiled at them in relief as she began to lead them towards the border. If everything went as planned, she could easily lead them to the fox den where they would wait for Blizzardclaw. Her worst fear would be running into Storm…or Thorn. She shook those worries out of her head as she focused on walking through the safest path for her kits. Puddles were everywhere and she didn't want any of them slipping or getting stuck in mud. She stopped every now and then to look like she was searching for Blizzardclaw. The kits' response to this would be all of them stopping and gazing around, their eyes wide with expectation. Feather felt rather bad for lying to them about seeing Blizzardclaw but she felt she made the right choice. After all they were going to meet him anyways. The hide and seek was just an added detail to make their trip to the fox den seem normal. As they neared the border, Feather stopped and looked down at them with excitement in her eyes. "I think I smell his scent!" she whispered loud enough to for them to hear over the rain.

The three kits waved their wet tails in excitement as they gazed up at her. They all remembered to stay silent but the looks on their faces urged Feather to keep talking.

"You three stay here," she whispered again, rounding them up under the cover of a birch tree. "This tree will keep you from getting any wetter. I'll go see if he's hiding close by! If he is, I'll run back and get you. Then you three can sneak up on him and win the game!" she purred.

Mist, Frost, and Frozenkit all nodded vigorously in agreement. Though their fluffy kit fur was plastered onto each of their small frames because of the rain, the kits were bubbling with excitement. Feather touched each of their noses with hers before slipping away. She ignored the urge to shake her dripping pelt as her heart began to pound within her chest. Her mate was close, she could feel it.

Hiding her excitement in case a rogue was near; she began to circle around the birch tree her kits were sheltered under in wide circles before trotting up to the fallen oak tree behind it. Holding her breath in anticipation, she slowly padded up to the fox den wedged between the tree's roots. Flattening her ears, she let out a soft meow by the den's entrance. She didn't have time to listen for a response as something raced out of the den and pounced on top of her, knocking her off her paws instantly. Feather gasped in surprise as she hit the ground. Shooting her gaze up at her attacker, she relaxed instantly as she realized who it was.

"Hello, Blizzardclaw," she smiled, happiness spreading like a warmth throughout her entire body.

Blizzardclaw stood over his mate, his eyes full of love as he nuzzled her cheek. "Feather!" he purred loudly. "I've missed you so much! It's felt like forever since I've last seen you!"

"It has been forever," Feather mused. Slipping out of his grip, she pounced on him playfully. "Why haven't you visited me more often!" she teased while licking his muzzle happily.

"I've been busy…" Blizzardclaw chuckled in amusement as he wrapped his paws around her.

Feather let out a blissful sigh as she rested her head on his chest. His rumbling purr and the warmth of his body calmed her, making her forget about the rain drenching both of their pelts and of all the worries clouding her mind. As he twined their tails together, she breathed in his familiar scent and twitched her whiskers. "You smell like a squirrel!" she purred in amusement.

Blizzardclaw smiled and licked her nose. "That's because I caught you one! It's in the den," he meowed, craning his neck backwards to motion towards the oak tree. Looking back at her, he flicked his ears. "Where are they…?"

"You mean the kits…?" Feather meowed in amusement as she let him up.

"Of course!" Blizzardclaw purred as he got to his paws. "I've been dying to see them again since the night they were born! I've even had dreams of playing with them you know," he added in amusement.

Feather nuzzled him happily. "They're very close by! Go back into the den," she meowed, nudging him in its direction. "I'll go fetch them for you!"

"Alright," the tom purred in agreement as he padded towards the den. "Don't take too long though!"

"I won't!" Feather purred as she raced way. Blizzardclaw watched her go with a smiled before disappearing back into the den. He was finally going to see the kits!

Feather trotted back to the birch tree. Her eyes gleamed with excitement this time as she looked down at the kits. "I've found him!" she whispered. "Come surprise him!" she urged, racing away from the tree.

The kits blinked at each other happily before pelting after their mother, their tiny paws splashing through the wet undergrowth. Glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were following, Feather came to a sudden stop by the fox's den. "In here!" she smiled to them. "Go in and surprise him!"

Mist gave a nervous sigh as she and her brothers reached the den. Exchanging weary glances with both of them, she blinked up at Feather. "Will you come with us…?" she mewed.

Feather purred before walking over to them. "Of course, little ones," she purred, standing beside them. "Now come on! There's nothing to be afraid about!" she assured them before nudging them towards the entrance of the den.

Frozenkit swallowed his weariness before smiling at his siblings. "Come on! We gotta beat him at hide and seek!" he reminded them before charging into the den.

Frost purred in amusement before pelting after his brother, Mist close behind him. Feather couldn't help but purr as tears of happiness made their way down her muzzle. They were finally going to meet their father! Casting one last glance around the wet forest, the she-cat padded after her kits with a wide grin on her face. Nothing would or could possibly ruin this moment for her.

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**A/N: It's 2:18am ._. But I uploaded the next chapter :'D Hope you enjoyed! This one was almost twice the size of the last one!**


	6. Chapter 5

Frost blinked his eyes repeatedly to adjust them to the fox den's dark interior. Padding after Frozenkit, he could hear the sound of the rain drumming on the ground outside and the paw steps of Mist and Feather following after him and his brother. His vision soon focusing, Frost was able to make out the form of an adult tom sitting in the center of the den. Distracted by the cat, Frost didn't realize Frozenkit had stopped walking and soon bumped into him.

Frozenkit barely noticed Frost as he stared wide-eyed at Blizzardclaw. He looked somewhat familiar though Frozenkit had never seen him before. His fur was composed of similar colors matching his littermates' pelts and his eyes were a striking blue like just like his own. Shuffling his paws, the young tom mustered the courage to speak. "Dad…?" he mewed questioningly.

Blizzardclaw's eyes lightened up with excitement as he looked down at Frozenkit and Frost. "Yes…?" he smiled.

Frost flicked his ears, using them to digest the sound of his father's voice. It wasn't as low as Storm's but it was definitely nowhere near as high-pitched as Mist's when either he or Frozenkit succeeded in scaring her. The single word Blizzardclaw had spoken seemed as gentle and reassuring as all the words Feather had ever spoken to them. Relaxed by this, Frost scrambled over to Frozenkit's side and looked up at their father. "Is it really you?"

"Why of course," Blizzardclaw purred. "Don't you remember me?" he asked them in amusement.

Frozenkit shook his head as he continued to stare at him. "Mommy said we were too small to remember!"

"We're much bigger now though," Frost meowed, puffing out his wet fur to the best of his ability.

"I can see that," Blizzardclaw said with an amused laugh. "Where's your sister, Mist?" he asked.

Frost blinked up at him. "I'm Mist," he replied nonchalantly, padding up to Blizzardclaw and sniffing his paw.

"No you're not," Frozenkit frowned immediately at his brother. "You'll confuse him!"

"Don't worry, Frozenkit," Blizzardclaw purred. "I know he's not Mist. Isn't that right, Frost?" he asked the pale, silver kit as he flicked his ear with his tail.

Frost twitched his ear in response as he stopped examining the warrior's paw. "Yes I know I'm Frost and not Mist. I was testing you," he purred before looking at Frozenkit. "But where is she…?"

Frozenkit merely shrugged which earned a confused frown from Frost. Glancing around, the two brothers focused their attention on their mother who was sitting with her tail wrapped around Mist by the entrance of the den. The she-kit sat there in between her mother's front paws and blinked at her littermates.

"Mist!" Frozenkit called, trotting over and stopping by Feather's paws. "What are you doing with Mom? Come meet Dad!" he urged her.

Mist frowned stubbornly and pressed up against Feather. "No!"

Frost was busy pawing at Blizzardclaw's tail when he heard his sister. "Why not?" he mewed. "I thought you were excited to meet him!" Frost reminded her.

"Not anymore!" Mist huffed, looking the other way. "I wanna go home!"

Seeing the confused looks on her two sons, Feather smiled down at them. "Don't worry little ones. Mist is just being a little shy."

"Not true, Mommy!" Mist protested instantly, shaking her head.

"Then come meet him!" Frozenkit meowed, waving his tail. "Frost and I already did and he's not mean! Right?" he meowed, looking back over at his brother.

"Right," Frost purred as Blizzardclaw rested his tail on his son's head.

Mist narrowed her eyes at Frost as he began to swipe their father's tail away playfully. "Well I guess I can meet him…" she sighed as Frozenkit purred. Mist licked Feather's paw before leaping out of her tail's grip, landing beside her brother. She gave her wet fur a few nervous licks before slowly padding up to Blizzardclaw. "Hi Daddy…" she mumbled shyly.

Blizzardclaw released his attention from Frost before he looked down at his daughter. "There you are Mist!" he purred.

Mist only nodded as she watched the ground, shuffling her paws quietly.

Blizzardclaw stopped his purring and blinked at her. After a few moments, he smiled. "Did anybody ever tell you how pretty you are, Mist?"

"How pretty I am?" Mist echoed, moving her gaze up to meet his.

The tom began to purr again as he nodded. "You're a very pretty she-cat! Just like your mother."

Mist's eyes shone brightly at his compliment before she looked at Frost. "Did you hear that? He thinks I'm pretty like Mommy!" she purred happily.

Frost smiled at his sister in amusement before glancing behind Blizzardclaw. Sniffing the air in confusion, he padded around the warrior and blinked curiously at the dead squirrel that lay beside him. "What's this?" he asked his father while sniffing at the prey's gray fur.

Blizzardclaw glanced over his shoulder at the kit. "That's a present I caught for your mother," he explained. "It's a squirrel!"

Frozenkit pricked his ears as he padded back over to Blizzardclaw, Feather trailing behind him. "So it's prey?" he asked curiously.

Blizzardclaw nodded. "It is prey. Would you like to try it…?" he asked them in amusement.

Mist gasped excitedly before whipping her head around to look at her mother. "Can we!" she breathed, her tail curling in anticipation.

Feather let out an amused purr. "Of course you can," she responded, walking over to the squirrel. Gently nudging Frost to the side with her muzzle, she picked up the piece of prey and padded back to Frozenkit and Mist, setting it down in front of them as they purred. Frost scampered after her and sat in between his siblings as they both began to examine the squirrel.

After a few moments of sniffing at it, Frozenkit tilted his head as he looked up at his parents. "How exactly do we eat it…?"

Blizzardclaw flicked an ear before crouching down beside them. "Well the first thing you should do is pluck off some of the fur," he explained, placing his paw on the squirrel's pelt. "It's not very pleasant chewing on hair plus eating it might give you a bellyache."

Mist listened intently before looking down at the prey. Using her small teeth, she bent down and pulled out a tuft of fur. "Like this?" she mewed, spitting the fur onto the ground.

Blizzardclaw smiled. "Yes, just like that. You can stop once you've found a patch of skin. That's how you will know you've plucked enough fur to start eating."

Feather swept her tail against Frozenkit's and Frost's backs. "Now you two try what your sister did," she encouraged.

"Okay," Frozenkit nodded as his brother began pulling fur off the prey with his teeth. Working quietly, the kits focused on plucking off as much hair as they could. After the three of them had cleared away most of the fur on the squirrel's flank, Frozenkit looked at Blizzardclaw. "Now can we eat it?" he questioned.

The tom nodded as he swept the plucked fur away from them with his tail. "Yes," he purred. "Now you may eat it."

"Our first prey!" Mist purred excitedly to her brothers before taking a large bite out of the squirrel.

Frost watched silently as Mist and Frozenkit both began to eat. "Well?" he asked expectantly. "What does it taste like…?"

Mist's purr began to ebb away as she continued chewing. "Sorta weird…" she admitted, forcefully swallowing down the meat.

"Yeah…" Frozenkit muttered in agreement through his mouthful. "I don't really like it…"

Feather frowned at her mate in concern. "Is the meat stale or something?"

"Shouldn't be…" Blizzardclaw blinked in return. "I caught it on the way here," he explained before taking a bite of the prey.

"Doesn't it taste icky, Daddy?" Mist wrinkled her nose as she watched him. "Worst thing you ever tasted, right?"

Blizzardclaw chewed for a moment before twitching his whiskers as he swallowed. "No…it tastes great!" he said with a laugh. "I think you two just don't like the taste of squirrel."

Frozenkit's ears drooped in embarrassment. "Oh…"

Frost looked at his siblings in amusement before pouncing on the squirrel. He sniffed it carefully before taking a small bite. Going over the taste on his tongue, he soon swallowed with a purr. "I like it."

Mist rolled her eyes. "Of course _you_ would like it!"

Frozenkit ignored his siblings as he lay down beside Blizzardclaw. "Where do you live, Dad?" he asked him curiously. "Here…?"

Blizzardclaw blinked before shaking his head slowly. "No…I live somewhere else," he admitted, lying down beside Frozenkit.

Mist tilted her head. "Is your den close to ours?" she smiled excitedly, lying down beside her father's flank and Frozenkit.

"I wish," Blizzardclaw chuckled with a sad smile. "No, you see I live in a clan, little ones."

Frost was busy climbing onto the squirrel when he heard his response. "A clan?" he echoed, taking another bite from the squirrel.

The warrior nodded. "That's right, a clan. It's like a giant family of cats who live together except we aren't all related to each other."

"How many cats?" Frozenkit blinked. "Ten…?" he asked, thinking of a large number.

Blizzardclaw gave a glance of amusement to Feather before shaking his head. "More like ten cats tripled."

Mist's eyes widened in bewilderment before she asked, "And you all live together in the same den!"

"No, we've divided ourselves into groups who each share their own dens," Blizzardclaw twitched his whiskers. "Why don't I explain what it's like instead of you asking me millions of questions," he suggested with a purr.

Frozenkit smiled. "Okay!" he chirped. "Tell us everything!"

Blizzardclaw gave a nod. "Right, everything," he laughed. "Are you going to join your siblings before I start telling them about the clan, Frost?" he meowed, looking at eating kit.

Frost nodded as he took one final bite. Chewing swiftly, he quickly swallowed before hopping off the squirrel. His belly full, Frost hobbled over to his siblings and squeezed in between their pelts before lying down. The three kits huddled against each other gratefully since their wet fur was beginning to give them a chill. Feather watched them in amusement before grabbing the squirrel in her jaws and sitting down beside Blizzardclaw to eat it.

"Alright then," Blizzardclaw smiled as he wrapped his tail around the kits. "You see, I don't live a life like yours. In mine, I have to care about _everybody_ in my clan, not just myself or my friends. I have to follow a certain set of rules too."

"We have rules too!" Mist piped in. "Like no biting…" she mumbled, glancing at Frost.

Frost only yawned before smiling back at Blizzardclaw. "Keep going!"

Blizzardclaw let out a purr before he continued. "These rules are all under what we clan cats call the warrior code. For us to successfully be warriors, we must follow all the rules in the code throughout our entire lives."

"But what's a warrior?" Frozenkit questioned as he tucked his paws underneath himself.

"A warrior is a very noble cat," Blizzardclaw began. "It is their duty to defend their clan and clan mates with their lives whatever the reason may be."

"Are you a warrior, Daddy?" Mist mewed curiously.

"I am," the tom smiled. "But to be a warrior, you don't _only _have to follow the warrior code. You also have to go through six moons of training. While you're training, you're known as an apprentice and a warrior mentors you. Your mentor teaches you how to hunt, how to defend your clan, and how to follow the warrior code."

Frost stood up suddenly and waved his tail. "I wanna be a warrior. Teach me how to be one," he meowed up to Blizzardclaw.

"You can't be a warrior though, Frost! You don't live in a clan," Mist protested, shaking her head.

"I'll go live with Dad," Frost declared. "Then I can be a warrior."

"Well I guess you _could_ but not at the moment," Blizzardclaw twitched his whiskers. "You have to be six moons old to be an apprentice."

"Aw," Frost mewed, his ears drooping. "I'm only 3 moons old…"

Blizzardclaw smiled and licked his forehead. "Don't worry, your mother will teach you everything you need to know once you're old enough, right?" he purred, looking at his mate.

Feather licked her lips as she finished eating the squirrel. "Right!" she purred back.

"But I wanna be a warrior," Frost mumbled sleepily, lying back down between his siblings.

"You'll be just as good as one when the time comes," Blizzardclaw assured him. "But now I think it's time you three take a nap."

Frozenkit pricked his ears. "Can we stay here with you though…?"

"Yeah! I don't wanna go home yet," Mist yawned tiredly as she pressed against her father.

"Of course you can stay here," Blizzardclaw purred gently. "I still need to teach you more about the clan when you wake up!"

"Good," Frost smiled before he drifted off to sleep.

Blizzardclaw watched them intently, smiling silently to himself as they all fell asleep beside his flank. The only thing that caused him to look away was Feather when she gently brushed against him. "Well?" she purred, lying down beside him.

He smiled at her, his eyes brimming with happiness. "They're perfect," he whispered truthfully. "More than anything I could ever imagine."

Feather let out a joyful purr as she licked his muzzle. "I'm glad you like them. They seem to have developed a liking towards you too!" she whispered with a smile, gazing down lovingly at the sleeping kits.

Blizzardclaw nodded silently in agreement before blinking at her. "So, how have things been going for you? Any problems with your father…?" he asked curiously before glancing at the entrance of the den. The rain had stopped.

"There have been some problems," Feather sighed as she looked at her paws. "Storm visited them before you. He kept telling them how great they'll be as fighters when they're older but luckily he didn't mention the war. He probably expects me to do that," she mused.

"Well…him visiting them is alright I guess," Blizzardclaw meowed. "I mean, you are his daughter, he'd naturally want to meet your kits."

"That's not it though," Feather shook her head. "He's been sending multiple spies to lurk around my den since the night the kits were born. They're obviously looking for you but…I ran into the last one," she sighed.

"And?" Blizzardclaw frowned in confusion.

"He threatened me and the kits," Feather confessed. "He said he was the last spy Storm was sending and I only have one moon to tell him who the father of our kits is. If I don't tell him…he promised to kill them," she ended hoarsely.

Blizzardclaw's fur began to prickle. "I'm taking you and the kits to the clan then," he frowned.

"No wait! We can't do that, Blizzardclaw," Feather replied instantly, resting her tail over his flank.

"You'd all be safe then!" Blizzardclaw urged.

"No we wouldn't be!" Feather whispered flatly. "Storm wants us to react like this. If we go back to Fogclan with you it'll ruin everything. Our lives, our love, and our kits' lives would go to waste. You know this would happen so don't act like we could avoid it…" she mewed.

Blizzardclaw dug his claws deep into the den's ground before letting out a sigh of defeat. "You're right…but what else could we do…?"

"Stick to our original plan," Feather responded calmly. "This was supposed to happen when they would be six moons but…I guess we have to do it now," she murmured. "You'll have to take Frozenkit back with you tonight."

"But he's not old enough to be an apprentice yet!" Blizzardclaw protested.

"Give him to a queen," Feather replied firmly. "He'll be ready eventually but from this day forward he'll have to be under the guise of an orphan. Just say you found him in the rainstorm while you were hunting. He'll be safe then," she reminded him.

"What about you, Mist and Frost?" Blizzardclaw whispered. "You obviously can't stay here anymore."

Feather nodded slowly. "I know, that's why we're leaving."

"Leaving the forest…?" Blizzardclaw's eyes widened. "Where would you go!"

"Anywhere at this point," Feather smiled sadly. "Anywhere would be safer than here."

Blizzardclaw stayed silent as he thought it over. He knew suggesting to follow her would be a mouse-brained idea too since Streamstar would question why he would want to leave the clan. After a while, he meowed, "Will we ever see each other again…?"

Feather bit her lip. "I'm not sure at this point…"

"But I don't want to leave you…" Blizzardclaw whispered as he pressed against her.

"We have to do this, Blizzardclaw! We have to for our kits," she reminded him as she licked his ears. "Maybe after your clan defeats my father we could see each other again," she meowed.

Blizzardclaw nodded slowly. "Right, this is the best we can do to keep our kits safe," he agreed.

"Let's let them sleep now though," Feather mewed, looking down at the kits again. "It'd be cruel to separate them while they're asleep…"

"Yeah," Blizzardclaw sighed sadly. "I just wish we could have all had more time together..."

"Me too," Feather agreed in dismay before she pressed her muzzle into his fur. Blizzardclaw licked her forehead gently before resting his head on his paws. He silently prayed the kits would sleep for a long time since neither he nor his mate could imagine how painful it will be separating them from each other.

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**A/N: Well that was fun to write! xD I hope Blizzardclaw taking Frozenkit to the clan clears up why he has a clan name. Onto the next chapter! :'D**


	7. Chapter 6

Frost twitched slightly before opening his blue eyes. The fox den's interior seemed brighter to him as he shifted sleepily into a sitting position. The sound of birds chirping outside told him it should be around the time of dawn. Yawning, he looked at his sleeping littermates before his gaze landed upon his parents. Blizzardclaw was still lying beside him and his siblings while Feather was curled up on the other side their father. Both of the older cats were asleep just like Frozenkit and Mist. Smiling, Frost carefully maneuvered around his brother and sister before he walked up to Blizzardclaw's front paws. The warrior still had his head rested on his paws as he snored softly, whiskers twitching in his sleep. Frost hesitated before he began pawing at his father's nose. "Dad!" he whispered.

Blizzardclaw flicked an ear before he slowly blinked at the kit. "Awake already, Frost?" he yawned before smiling at him.

Frost purred happily as his father woke up before nodding. "I wanna hear more about the clan!" he whispered excitedly.

Blizzardclaw noticed that his mate and two other kits were still asleep. "Don't you want to wait until Frozenkit and Mist wake up? I bet they'd want to learn more about it too," he meowed, raising his head from his paws.

Frost quickly shook his head as he sat in front of the tom. "They'll probably be asleep for another moon," he explained to him. "I can't wait that long."

The warrior let out an amused purr before nodding. "Well I guess I can tell you more as long as you promise to tell your siblings about what you learned. Oh, and let's be quiet," Blizzardclaw whispered. "Your mother and siblings might get cranky if we wake them up!"

Frost nodded silently, his eyes gleaming.

"I already told you about the warriors and apprentices, so now I'll tell you about all the other members of the clan," Blizzardclaw meowed.

"There's more?" Frost asked in bewilderment.

Blizzardclaw nodded with a smile. "Lots more! There are even kits like you, Frozenkit and Mist. They're taken care by the mothers of the clan in a den called the nursery. Kits live and grow up in the nursery until they're six moons old. Then they become apprentices and get their mentors."

"Do the warriors get to pick who they mentor?" Frost asked curiously.

"Sometimes they can ask for a certain kit but all decisions are made by our clan leader," Blizzardclaw replied. "The clan leader makes all of the important choices and everybody in the clan has to follow them," he explained. "The leader is also in charge of arranging the ceremonies held in the clan. We have ceremonies for kits when they become apprentices and then for apprentices when they become warriors. The leader, warriors, apprentices and the kits all have their own dens where they rest in or sleep. We also have two other dens."

Ears drawn forward as he listened, Frost meowed, "What are those two dens for?"

"One is for the elders of the clan. Elders are cats who have served the clan for many years as warriors and are now retired. Apprentices usually take care of them by making sure they have enough to eat and by making sure their nests are clean. The other den is for the clan's medicine cat. This cat isn't a warrior and instead takes care of the clan by treating them when they are sick or injured. Since we are all members of a clan, all of our dens are found in our 'camp'. Our camp is just a giant forest clearing that's surrounded by thick undergrowth. It has all of our dens inside of it and serves as our home," Blizzardclaw meowed.

"Wow," Frost breathed, taking in everything his father told him. "When can I go there!" he purred excitedly.

Blizzardclaw hesitated. "Go where…?"

"To the clan!" Frost exclaimed. "I wanna see everything and then become a warrior like you!"

Blizzardclaw stiffened as he felt Feather begin to awake beside him. "I told you we had to be quiet, Frost!" he whispered. "Besides, you'd find the clan boring," he meowed. "You'd have lots more fun living out here!" he smiled.

Frost scowled in disappointment. "But I wanna be a warrior…"

"Who wants to be a warrior?" Feather yawned as she awoke.

"Me!" Frost purred, scrambling over to his mother. "Can you tell Dad to take me to the clan, Mommy? Please…? I promise I'll come visit you…after I become a warrior," he smiled, resting his front paws on her flank.

Feather blinked at him before purring in amusement. "Sorry, but you have to stay with me instead, Frost. You can't become a warrior either since I told your father he'd be the only warrior I would ever love," she explained, glancing at her mate in amusement.

Frost's ears drooped before he waved his tail excitedly. "It's okay!" he purred. "It doesn't matter if you won't love me anymore! I'd still love you," he assured her.

His mother looked at him for a couple of seconds before frowning up at Blizzardclaw. "What were you telling him while I was asleep…?"

"Nothing _extremely_ incredible! Just about the different cats there are in the clan. _He _decided on becoming a warrior on his own," Blizzardclaw defending himself, whiskers twitching in amusement.

Frost padded away from his parents as they continued to talk. Remembering about his promise to Blizzardclaw, the silver kit raced over to his siblings. "Frozenkit! Mist! Wake up!" he urged, pouncing on his sister.

Mist let out a surprised squeak as Frost landed onto her back. "Frost!" she whined sleepily. "I was having a fun dream!"

Frost purred in amusement and licked her ear. "Sorry, but I gotta tell you what Daddy told me about the clan!"

"The clan?" Frozenkit yawned as he woke up. "But we were right there with you last night when he told us about it, Frost!"

"He told me more," Frost purred, leaping off a squirming Mist. "I woke up first today and I asked him if he could tell me more. He said he would as long as I told you guys about it afterwards, so listen up!"

"Can't we eat first?" Mist mewed, glancing around as she tried to find Feather.

Frost frowned. "Clan first, food later," he told her bluntly.

"Okay…" Frozenkit nodded in agreement as he sat upwards. "But if you take too long telling us about the clan, we'll eat you," he growled playfully.

Frost puffed out his fur to make himself look bigger. "I'm too big for you to eat!"

"We'll just settle with eating your tail then!" Mist purred in amusement, pouncing on her brother's tail.

Frost let out a squeal of horror before he began to wrestle his sister. Frozenkit sat back and watched his siblings with a purr. He looked away from them as Feather padded up to him. "Hi Mommy!" he greeted.

"Hello, Frozenkit," Feather meowed before she nudged him with her nose. "Could I talk to you for a second? I promise it won't take long," she assured.

Frozenkit blinked at her curiously. "Sure! I'm not in trouble though…right?" he mewed wearily.

"Is there a reason you should be?" she purred in amusement. She then began walking off towards the entrance of the den, leaving Mist and Frost to their play fighting.

"No, Mommy!" Frozenkit replied instantly as he raced after her.

"Good," Feather smiled as she reached the den's opening. She waited for him to catch up before sitting down.

Frozenkit peered through the entrance as he reached it. The ground leading out of the den was still wet from the rain and small droplets of water were dripping off the fallen oak tree. Frozenkit watched the water as it plopped on to the ground before gazing up at the sky. It was a soft, brightening blue color and free of clouds. The kit saw rays of sunlight slowly slicing their way through the forest's cover before his mother got his attention by flicking his ear with her tail. Backing away from the entrance, Frozenkit smiled up at her. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Something rather important…" Feather admitted sadly.

Frozenkit frowned worriedly. "What is it, Mommy?"

Feather gave him a sad smile while she wrapped her tail around him. "Well Frozenkit…you'll be leaving me, Frost, and Mist soon."

The kit blinked up at his mother curiously. "Where am I going?"

"You'll be going to the clan with your father," Feather explained gently.

"Wow, really!" Frozenkit gasped in excitement. "How long will I be there for!" he purred.

Feather shuffled her paws. "For the rest of your life, little one…"

Frozenkit instantly stopped his purring. The excitement in his eyes was soon drowned out by confusion. "What do you mean for the rest of my life…?"

"You'll be _joining _the clan," his mother explained, her voice starting to crack with emotion. "To live there with your father."

Frozenkit's eyes widened. "But what about you! I wanna live with you and Mist and Frost too, not just with Dad!" he protested.

"It'd be best if you didn't live with us anymore, little one," Feather mewed softly, stroking his flank with her tail tip.

"But why!" Frozenkit asked in bewilderment. "What did I do wrong…?"

"You didn't do anything wrong," Feather sighed. "This isn't a punishment. Your father and I decided one of you would go live in the clan with him long before you and your littermates were born. This wasn't supposed to happen for another three moons, but Storm is making things a little complicated for us, Frozenkit."

"Storm," Frozenkit echoed before unsheathing his claws. "So because of him I have to leave!" he frowned.

"In a way…yes," Feather nodded sadly. "Instead of going with Blizzardclaw when you would be ready to be an apprentice, you have to go now."

Frozenkit frowned stubbornly. "Well what if I don't go? What would Storm do?"

Feather's ears flattened. "He'd most likely kill you and your siblings…"

Frozenkit went silent, too shocked to speak. Glancing over at his littermates, he watched Mist pin down Frost before meowing, "If I did go…will I ever see you again…?"

"I really hope so, Frozenkit," Feather replied, nuzzling him sadly. "You haven't even left yet and I'm already sad."

"Me too," Frozenkit mewed, his ears drooping. "But I'll go, Mommy!" he declared suddenly. "Mist, Frost, and I don't like Storm at all. I would be even sadder if he touched _my_ brother and sister!"

Feather smiled down at him in relief before licking his ears. "You'll be just as brave of a warrior as your father, Frozenkit. Though I might not be around to watch you grow up, I'm sure you'll make Blizzardclaw and the clan extremely proud," she purred.

"I hope so," Frozenkit smiled before scrambling away from her. Though he had promised his mother he'd go, Frozenkit was deathly afraid. What if the clan didn't like him? What if his siblings and mother forgot about him? What if _he _forgot about _them!_ Thoughts like these began swirling around in his young mind as he dragged his paws back over to his littermates.

Mist, who was busy keeping Frost pinned down, sensed something was wrong as her other brother walked back over to them. "What's the matter, Frozenkit?" she mewed, hopping off of Frost.

Frozenkit jumped slightly, Mist snapping him out of his thoughts. "Um…nothing," he meowed, sitting down. Blinking he looked around in confusion. "Where did Dad go?" he frowned.

"He left the den but said he'd be back. Didn't you see him?" Mist tilted her head. "He walked right passed you and Mommy!"

Frozenkit stiffened. He had been so shocked by what his mother had said he hadn't even noticed his father leaving! "No…I didn't see him," he admitted sheepishly.

Mist gave him a questioning look. Before she could ask him what was wrong again, Frost raced over them. "Mist failed at eating my tail," he meowed to Frozenkit. "So now I can finally tell you two about the clan!"

"About time…" Mist teased as she sat down. "Ready to listen, Frozenkit?" she asked, looking over at him.

Frozenkit blinked before nodding with a smile. "Tell us, Frost!" he purred. '_I need to learn everything I can about the clan anyway…' _he thought sadly to himself as he sat by Mist.

Feather watched quietly from her spot near the entrance as Frost began to explain to his siblings what he had learned. After a while, she heard paw steps outside the den. She glanced at the opening just as Blizzardclaw walked back in. "Well?" she mewed.

"The dawn patrol hasn't passed by yet," Blizzardclaw reported. "I should have enough time to carry him over the border without a problem. We need to go soon though…" he ended softly.

Feather sighed but nodded. "I know, let's go tell them…"

* * *

**A/N: There's chapter 6! I guess it's almost time for them to be separated :c Hope you liked it! Lovin' the reviews too! :D**


	8. Chapter 7

Thorn growled irritably as brambles snagged onto his tail's brown fur, pulling him backwards as he tried to walk.

"Are you okay!" gasped a she-cat's voice from behind him.

"I'm fine, Sparrow!" he snapped, yanking his tail out of the undergrowth. His sudden yank caused tufts of fur to escape from his tail and remain trapped in the grasp of the brambles.

There was a rustle in the vegetation behind him before the she-cat appeared, rushing over to his side. "Are you sure!" Sparrow mewed, sniffing over his tail before giving it a swift lick with her pink tongue.

Thorn's pelt prickled with annoyance as he whipped his tail away from her. He had set out a few hours before dawn to check around Feather's den when the brown she-cat had run into him. From then on, he had to put up with her endless chatter on topics that were meaningless to him as he trudged through the dark, wet forest. Why out of all the she-cats he knew did _Sparrow_ have to like him! Thorn could not understand this. He was handsome and strong and not to mention one of Storm's favorites. It was more than embarrassing for him whenever this brown, white-splotched she-cat began to follow him around. Their differences made it even more aggravating. Thorn loved to fight; Sparrow was terrified of using her claws. The tom was keen when tracking his prey; the she-cat was lucky if she caught the _scent_ of prey. He tried killing clan cats while she avoided getting killed. All these factors fueled Thorn's agitation when he'd lash out at her. Though he knew Feather had never been interested in him, he was grateful she was not as mouse-brained as Sparrow.

Shaking away his thoughts, Thorn began to focus on his mission instead. He was glad it had stopped raining though. The forest was a lot quieter since it wasn't getting hammered down by steady showers of water anymore. The only sounds Thorn could hear now were the chirps of crickets and the trickling sound of droplets of water as leaves released their loads onto the ground. As he began to pad towards the direction of Feather's den again, Sparrow interrupted him once more.

"Thorn…?" she meowed, padding up to him.

"Yes?" he growled, glancing at her as she stood beside him.

"How come you haven't told me what you're up to? It'd be sort of weird if you were out hunting at this hour," she commented. "It's hardly dawn yet!"

"I'm doing something that's too important for _you_ to know about," Thorn responded flatly, walking off into the undergrowth.

Sparrow's eyes shone with curiosity in the dim nightlight as she followed after him. "Is it something relating to Storm?" She asked, unaffected by his insult.

"Maybe," the tom muttered, leaping over some ferns glistening with water.

"Are you turning this into a guessing game?" Sparrow purred, flattening the ferns as she walked on top of them.

Thorn felt himself slowly going insane. "Sparrow, why don't you try some hunting? Maybe the rain has left some mouse-brained prey in shock and you'll be able to catch it!" he suggested, faking a smile.

Sparrow stood there silently as she pondered over the suggestion. Eventually, she frowned at him. "But will you be okay on your own?" she asked in concern. "What if a clan cat has been watching us this whole time and it tries to attack you when I leave!" she gasped in horror.

"I'm sure I'll be able to handle it with you out of the way," Thorn growled.

"Well…if you say so," Sparrow purred happily. "What should I try catching?"

'_Something already dead would be a pretty astounding accomplishment,' _Thorn mused before blinking at her. "Catch a rabbit."

Sparrow nodded vigorously. "I will, Thorn! Then we can share it after you finish whatever you're up to!" she purred, racing off. "I'll catch up with you later!"

"How great," Thorn muttered. He watched the she-cat lengthened the distance between them as she pelted through the forest. Only after he lost sight of her did Thorn start walking again. Getting close to Feather's den, his paws began to make sucking sounds as he padded around some puddles on the ground. The cold mud surrounding the pools of water soon began caking itself over his black claws. Letting out a silent sigh, Thorn gazed around until he spotted something that looked useful. He strolled up to a sturdy looking tree, its bark dark from all of the rain water it had absorbed. Getting up on his hind legs, Thorn reached up against the tree's rough trunk and slowly dragged his claws down it, freeing each of them from the wet mud. Satisfied, he began to back away from the tree when suddenly he was tackled from behind.

"Sparrow!" he yowled in confusion, slamming into the tree from the force of the impact. The rough bark that was helpful cleaning his claws now scraped against his body, causing Thorn to hiss in pain.

"Wrong cat!" cackled a voice.

As gray fur smothered him, Thorn realized it was Storm. Growling, the brown tom tried to force himself to his paws, but he was soon overpowered. He scowled angrily as the older tom pinned him down, making his back get pressed down against the muddy ground.

Storm stood over Thorn in triumph, holding the brown tom down by his shoulders. "Why hello there, Thorn! I hope I'm not interrupting your romantic night out with Sparrow," he sneered, his yellow teeth glistening maliciously as he looked down at the tom.

Thorn lashed his tail angrily, making sure he hit Storm's flank with it. "How long have you been watching us…?"

"Well I've been watching _you_ ever since I assigned you to watch over Feather," Storm mused, still on top of him. "Tonight I just happened to be around," he chuckled, digging his long claws into Thorn's shoulders.

Thorn began to thrash wildly which only resulted in Storm digging his claws deeper into him. "Let me go!" he snarled loudly.

Storm frowned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "No. I need to talk to you first, so you better listen or you'll be losing an eye," he growled loudly before letting out a purr of amusement. "Or maybe you'll lose an ear or a tail or just a couple of claws…"

"Just tell me what you want!" Thorn demanded. He hated when Storm acted like a mouse-brain with his purring, but he knew he had to be careful when dealing with this tom.

"Very well then," Storm snorted. "I want to know how it went with Feather. Did you gather any worthwhile information…?"

Thorn blinked his amber eyes slowly before nodding. "Yes…I think I know who the tom is," he responded.

"You only _think _you know!" Storm snapped angrily.

Thorn began to cringe but quickly stopped himself. "I've caught the scent of a tom around her den," he lied smoothly. "It doesn't smell like anybody we know so I was _thinking_ it might be her mate. I came out here to investigate more while apparently you _and_ Sparrow stalked after me," he ended flatly.

Storm's fur bristled slightly as he narrowed his eyes again. "Show me where you caught the scent," he ordered, leaping off the brown tom.

"Uh what?" Thorn blinked, caught off guard.

"Get up and show me where!" Storm hissed, cuffing Thorn's ear harshly with his large, gray paw.

Thorn let out a hiss but rose to his paws. Ear throbbing, he began to lead the way towards Feather's den, Storm following his claws unsheathed. When the toms reached the den's clearing, Thorn quickly gazed around before pointing to a random bush. "There," he meowed. "That's where I caught the scent."

Storm eyed him questioningly before going over to the bush. Flicking his scarred tail, the gray cat began examining the bush. Thorn watched quietly from across the clearing, his injured ear flicking. After a few minutes of sniffing, Storm whipped his head around and glared at him. "I smell nothing!" he spat.

Thorn shuffled his paws slightly, glancing at the den to see if Feather had heard them yet. "Uh, maybe the rain washed away the scent!" he suggested quickly.

Storm began growl when suddenly, he stopped. Perking his ears, he slowly began walking towards his daughter's den.

"What are you doing!" Thorn frowned in confusion. "You'll wake them all up and then she'll know we've been snooping around here!"

Storm flashed his fangs silently at Thorn which instantly made him stop talking. The gray tom reached the entrance of the den with a frown. "Nobody is here…" he mumbled, peeking in through the opening.

"What do you mean?" Thorn blinked in puzzlement.

"It's empty!" Storm hissed back in annoyance before walking into the den.

"They're gone?" Thorn gasped in actual surprise. As he watched Storm disappear through the entrance, Thorn couldn't help but wonder if Feather had actually left permanently like he had told her to. Was she really this determined to hide the identity of who she had mated with? He didn't get any more time to think as Storm emerged from the den's entrance.

"They're all gone!" he spat. "Feather and all three kits! Where could they have gone!" he growled, turning to face Thorn.

Thorn shook his head slowly. "I have no idea…maybe the rain was flooding their den so they went to higher grounds?" he suggested earnestly.

Storm shook his head. "It was completely dry inside there."

"Oh," Thorn mumbled before glancing up at the sky. Silverpelt was slowing fading away as the sky began to brighten up. "Well it's almost dawn," he meowed to Storm. "Maybe they'll come back from wherever they went to…"

Storm suddenly stiffened. "They're with him…" he hissed lowly.

"With the father…? How would you know that?" Thorn frowned as he sat down in the clearing.

"Well where else would they be!" Storm snapped. "It's the only logical explanation! Feather used the cover of the rain to hide all their scents to go meet up with the tom!" Growling, Storm began to pace the clearing. Flicking his tail, he shot his gaze at Thorn. "You have to go find them. Shouldn't be that hard since there's five of them," he mused. "Forget about Feather and the kits. Focus only on finding out who that tom is! I'll even distract Sparrow for you if I need to."

Thorn stared down at his paws. He could see some mud still wedged in between his claws now that the clearing was growing brighter with the approaching daylight. For a second he wondered if Sparrow managed to catch a rabbit like she had promised him. Hesitating for a bit, Thorn then flicked his ears and looked up at the gray tom. "Alright, I'll go searching. I'll go looking all day if need be and then I'll report back to you, Storm."

"Wonderful," Storm purred darkly. "This could be your big break, Thorn. You find me that tom and I'll let you be second in command of the forest after we beat those clan cats. Who knows? Maybe you'll even get to be a leader like me one day," he chuckled.

"Leader," Thorn echoed to himself before nodding. "I will not fail you, Storm," he bowed his head as he stood up.

"Good, now go," Storm ordered. "I'll be waiting for your return, Thorn. Try not to come back empty-pawed unless you want to face some unpleasant consequences…" he chuckled again before vanishing into the undergrowth.

Thorn stood in the clearing for a while in silence. Letting out a silent exhale from his nose, he padded towards the abandoned den. He glanced warily over his shoulder to see if Storm was still around before slipping in through its entrance. His eyes gazed around the darkness before he made out the shape of a nest. Slowly, he went over and sniffed its moss, causing him stiffen. It smelled just like Feather. "Why couldn't you have just liked me instead?" Thorn hissed silently in sadness. Lashing his tail, he lied down on top of the moss and rested his head on his paws. He could smell the distinct scent of the kits mixed in with the she-cat's now that he was inside of their nest. Their scent was similar to Feather's but still had its own uniqueness to it which made Thorn sigh.

The tom was at war in his mind. Dread, sadness, and anger were overlying his thoughts as he tried to make a decision. If he were to find Feather's mate and reveal his identity to Storm, he would become the second most powerful rogue in the forest. What would this mean to Feather and her kits though? Thorn knew Storm could go off and kill her mate if he wanted to. What he didn't know was what the gray tom would do to his daughter and her kits. Would he kill them all too if he ended up not liking Feather's choice of mate? Sighing again, Thorn rolled over in the nest and stared up at the dark ceiling. Then there was his other option to think about. He could continue to lie to Storm and not go searching at all. Feather and her family would probably be safe –for now at least- since her father wouldn't know where they were. The only problem with that plan was Thorn would then be in danger of getting attacked by Storm…or killed.

Getting up, Thorn shook his pelt and thoughts away as he got out of the nest and den. He knew it was time to make a decision, one that could either hurt him emotionally or hurt him physically but still have a rewarding feeling in the end. Of course the time to choose was now.

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**A/N: AMG THAT WAS SO HARD TO WRITE AND I DON'T KNOW WHY D: I knew what to write but I just couldn't find the right way to put everything into order! Oh well, I have a clear view of how the next two chapters will play out :) I was wondering what Thorn and Storm were up to! By the way, I added a new "status" section to my profile page. It tells you how far I am writing out the next chapters. I'll update it every time I write so you'll know when to expect a new chapter. Thanks for reading! :D**


	9. Chapter 8

Frozenkit sat silently by his mother's paws as she groomed his dark, silver fur. He watched sadly as Blizzardclaw talked to Mist and Frost near the entrance of the den. Even though he was far away from them, Frozenkit could still see the confused expressions on both his siblings' faces. The parents of the kits had separated them while Frost had been telling his littermates about the clan. As Feather was busy making Frozenkit's fur look nice for his introduction to his new home, Blizzardclaw explained to the other two kits why their brother had to leave.

Feather gave her kit one final lick before nuzzling him. "You're all set to go, Frozenkit!" she purred, hiding her sadness behind a smile.

Frozenkit gave his mother a defeated look, his ears flat against his head. "Can't I go tomorrow…?" he mewed, glancing back at his siblings. Blizzardclaw had finished talking to them and now they were all looking back at him intently.

"No, little one," Feather shook her head. "It's either now or never and never would be a lot worse than what now is like."

Frozenkit was about to protest again when Blizzardclaw suddenly approached them.

"Are we all set?" Blizzardclaw questioned his mate before looking down at their kit.

Feather nodded silently as Frozenkit mumbled a "Yes," to his father. The warrior gave his son a sympathetic look before touching his nose to his ear. "Would you like to say something to your brother and sister before we go?" Blizzardclaw asked him.

Frozenkit immediately scrambled to his paws. "Of course I do!" he responded before pelting across the den to speak to his siblings.

As Frozenkit approached his siblings, who were seated by the entrance, Mist shifted on her paws uncomfortably. "Hi Frozenkit…" she mewed sadly.

Frozenkit's ears drooped at her sad tone. "Hi Mist. Hi Frost," he sighed, looking at his paws. When his brother didn't return the greeting, Frozenkit looked up in surprise. What shocked him more was the expression Frost was giving him.

Frost was wearing a solid scowl on his face. He stared at his brother through narrowed, blue eyes before demanding, "How come _you_ get to go see the clan and I don't?"

Frozenkit exchanged glances with Mist before looking back at Frost. "I'm not going to go _see_ the clan, Frost. I have to go _live _there," he tried to explain. "Maybe you could still go one day and visit me…?"

Frost stayed silent. After a few moments of thinking, he flicked his ears and erased the angry look from his face. "Well…okay," he agreed with a purr.

Frozenkit gave his brother a questioning look as Mist bumped her head against his flank affectionately. "I'm going to miss you, Frozenkit!" she told him, tears welling up in her eyes.

A wave of grief suddenly rolled over Frozenkit, causing him to go stiff. Holding back his own tears, the tom slowly bent down and gave his sister's ear a lick. "I'm going to miss you too, Mist," he managed to mew. Mist touched her nose to his shoulder before backing away from him. As he watched the she-kit sit beside Frost again, Frozenkit turned his focus on his brother. "Bye Frost," he meowed. "I'll miss you just as much as I'll miss Mommy and Mist…"

Frost blinked slowly at him before tilting his head curiously. "You don't want me to lick your ear…right?"

"No," Frozenkit responded, his whiskers twitching in amusement. He was going to miss his mouse-brained brother!

"Well then I'll miss you too," Frost assured him with a nod. "You should come visit us though so we don't have to miss you _too_ much."

"Yeah!" Mist agreed instantly. "Come visit us _all_ the time! Bring Daddy when you do too so we can all play hide and seek with him again," she smiled at Frozenkit.

"I will!" Frozenkit purred happily. "And I'll tell you all about the clan when I come too!"

"You should ask clan cats if they like squirrels," Frost meowed. "And then tell me what they say."

Frozenkit rolled his eyes in amusement before he pawed at Frost's ear. "I'll try."

"Are you three ready?" Blizzardclaw asked, padding over to them with Feather by his side. "We need to leave now, Frozenkit…"

"Don't worry! We're done," Frozenkit assured him before brushing up against his siblings for the last time. Mist purred and licked his ear as he did so while Frost batted at his tail.

Blizzardclaw smiled at the three kits before turning back to his mate. "Well, this is it…" he meowed, his smile growing weak.

"Don't act like this is the last time we'll see each other, you furball," Feather warned teasingly before she pressed her muzzle sadly into his fur.

Blizzardclaw let out a sigh as he rested his chin on her head. "I'm still sorry we have to go so soon! I already have a lot of explaining to do to Streamstar though so we can't stay any longer. She probably suspects your father killed me…or something else that's bad," he mused.

Feather remained silent for a few seconds before looking up at him. "Do you promise you'll take care of him…?"

"I promise I will," the tom meowed, licking her ear gently. "Nothing will be able to hurt our kit without trying to get past me first!"

"Good," Feather smiled at him with a purr. "And don't you forget to avoid getting thrown into those mouse-brained battles!"

"You'd have to talk to Streamstar for that to come true, but I'll try nonetheless," Blizzardclaw chuckled as he nuzzled her.

Feather gave him a final lick on the muzzle before padding away from him and towards Frozenkit.

Frozenkit gazed up as his mother approached him and smiled. "Bye Mommy!" he purred.

"You seem much more excited about leaving now than you did while I was grooming you, little one," Feather smiled sadly as she sat down in front of him.

"Well that's because I'll only be gone for a while," the kit explained to his mother as he pressed up against her. "I'll come visit you and Mist and Frost real soon in our den! Or here if you want," he purred as he rubbed up against her legs.

Feather cringed at his words but managed to purr along with him. "I'll be looking forward to your visits, Frozenkit! Go with your father now though. The sooner you leave, the sooner you will be able to visit!"

"Right!" Frozenkit chirped, hopping away from her. Padding towards the entrance, he let out a silent sigh. A bulk of emotion, as heavy as a boulder, sat in the pit of his stomach as he glanced back at his family. He game them one last smile before scrambling out of the den. Stopping by the edge of the fallen tree's roots, he anxiously waited for his father.

Blizzardclaw shook his pelt as he prepared to go after Frozenkit. "Be good to your mother, little ones," he meowed to his kits while he brushed up against his silent mate. Feather remained quiet as he then walked over to Mist and licked her forehead. "Until we meet again, pretty she-cat," Blizzardclaw smiled at her.

Mist purred happily before she reached up and licked his nose. "Bye Daddy!"

The warrior purred in response before turning to Frost. "I'm relying on you to protect and take care of Mist and your mother, Frost. Do you think you can handle that?"

Frost sat up with his back straight and his head held high. "Of course I can."

"I know you can," Blizzardclaw laughed before licking the kit's head. "I hope to see you all someday soon," he meowed before he began to back out of the fox's den. He waved his tail in farewell before disappearing out the entrance.

"Bye Daddy! Bye Frozenkit!" Mist called loudly as Frost watched their father vanish from sight. Both kits then looked up at Feather curiously when she brushed against them with a purr.

"Now that they're gone, how about we take a short nap before we leave?" she suggested with a weak smile. "It'll help us stay strong on our way back to the den."

"Can't we just go back home without a nap instead? I'm not tired since we just woke up!" Frost whined, soon letting out a yelp as Mist bit his paw.

"Shush!" she hissed quietly. "Can't you see Mommy's sad!?" the she-kit frowned at her brother.

Frost blinked at her before gazing up at their mother. Feather's feeble smile was gone. She was now looking down at him with tired and sad looking eyes. Noticing her sorrow, Frost quickly laid himself down on the den's sandy floor. "A nap sounds like a good idea, Mommy," he agreed with an exaggerated yawn.

Mist rolled her eyes at Frost, but soon curled up beside him. "I agree with him," she purred sleepily while smiling up at Feather.

Feather sighed shakily as she curled herself around them tightly. "Sorry little ones, but I would really feel better if we would just rest for a while," she admitted. "Seeing your father _and_ your brother leave at the same time has overwhelmed me a little," the she-cat meowed, resting her head on her paws.

Mist blinked before pressing her nose reassuringly into her mother's long fur. "Don't be sad! We'll see them again real soon!" she purred, her eyes gleaming.

"Yeah, real soon," Frost nodded with another yawn before he fell into a slumber.

'_If only that would be true…'_ Feather quietly thought as she reached over to lick Mist's ear. "That's something good to think about later. Now let's sleep so we can head back to our den," she said to her daughter before closing her eyes again.

Pretending to fall asleep, Feather could hear Mist's soft purring as the kit pressed against her flank. Eventually, her purr ebbed away as she dozed off beside Feather and her brother. Feather opened her eyes and glanced at their slow rising flanks while she thought of the next step in her plan. Now that her mate had taken Frozenkit away safetly, it was her turn to get Mist and Frost as far away from Storm and Thorn as she could. Her plan's next step involved leaving the comforting cover of the forest she had known her whole life. Feather knew it would be risky, but the forest was beginning to be too dangerous for her family anyway.

The sound of a twig being stepped on outside the den made Feather's head snap off her paws, her stream of thoughts ending abruptly. Had Blizzardclaw returned for some reason? The continuation of rustles of vegetation near the fallen oak tree raised her hopes. Perking her ears excitedly, Feather let out a soft meow, "Blizzardclaw…? Is that you?"

Immediately after saying that, the noises stopped, causing Feather to frown. "Probably just a mouse or something…" she concluded in slight defeat, resting her head back on her paws.

"Are you sure about that…?" Thorn's voice chuckled before he popped in through the den's entrance.

Feather went rigid as she slowly rose her head up again. Fur prickling with distraught, she turned her head and look up at the tom's face. "Thorn…?" she breathed, her eyes widening in shock. "How did you know I was here…?"

"I didn't!" Thorn exclaimed with a laugh, his eyes glowing with amusement. "Well I didn't until I saw a certain clan cat walk away from this direction with a kit following after him. That kind of got me suspicious, so after they were out of sight, I jumped out of the tree I was in and came to investigate. By the way, was that a _clan_ name you called when you decided to give your position away…? It sort of sounded like you said Blizzardclaw…" the brown tom jeered. "He's a Fogclan warrior if you didn't know. That tom I just saw sort of matched his pelt description. Did I mention that kit almost reminded me of _you _in a way?" Thorn sneered, his tail curling in triumph. "It all seems rather coincidental in this silly situation we're both stuck in…doesn't it?" he purred.

Feather flattened her ears as dread made its way through her pelt. "Thorn, may I speak to you outside…?"

"Oh right, sure," Thorn scoffed. "After all, we wouldn't want to disturb those precious little kits of yours," he laughed, casting a glance at the two sleeping kits. "Funny," he sniffed. "I thought Storm said that there were _three_ kits when he visited you. Maybe _Blizzardclaw_ came by while you were sleeping here in this abandoned fox burrow instead of your _den_ and stole one of them. Well, it would explain why he had a kit following him over the border…"

"Outside, Thorn," Feather growled softly as she carefully stepped away from Mist and Frost. "_Now."_

"You're so bossy all of a sudden," Thorn snorted. "But fine, let's go outside. I've already done enough talking anyways so now it's your turn," he purred joyously before exiting the den.

Feather stiffened as she watched his brown pelt disappear through the entrance. Though she had left their side, the two kits were still fast asleep, both of them unaware of the danger all of them faced now that Thorn seen Blizzardclaw with Frozenkit. Frowning, Feather suddenly held her head high as she padded towards the entrance. Thorn might have seen her mate, but she wasn't going to allow him ruin everything she's worked for so easily. She was fully prepared to fight him if it would help insure the safety of Blizzardclaw and their kits. Fighting might end up being her last resort since the moment she slipped out of the fox burrow, Thorn launched himself at her.

* * *

**A/N: Yay for chapter 8! Feather's day seems to be going like poop now. My week was going like that too until ANDY MURRAY REACHED THE OLYMPIC FINALS MATCH IN TENNIS :'D But you probably care more about the cats than that so I'll stop talking xD**


	10. Chapter 9

Frozenkit let out a small grunt as he stumbled over a root straying above the ground.

Hearing his son's struggle, Blizzardclaw glanced over at him as he stopped walking. "You okay there?"

"Yeah," the kit sighed. This was the third time he had tripped! Frozenkit didn't remember the forest being this tricky when he had been playing hide and seek with his mother and siblings the day before.

Blizzardclaw had led him out of the rogue territory and past the lake clearing since their departure earlier that morning. So far, the lake had fascinated Frozenkit the most. It was by far _much _larger than a puddle he had once found with Frost outside their den after a rainfall. The insects that had been hovering over that puddle were nothing compared to the large birds sweeping in and out of the lake's water as the two toms had passed by it.

"_What are they doing?" Frozenkit had questioned his father._

"_They're trying to catch some fish!" Blizzardclaw explained before he had pointed to a large, white bird. "That one got lucky, see?"_

Looking up at the flying bird, Frozenkit could see a glistening fish thrashing in its beak. He had silently reminded himself to later ask his father if he could teach him how to fish.

Now, as the two traveling toms continued to make their way through the forest, the lake seemed like a distant memory. The forest felt familiar to Frozenkit which helped keep him calm as he followed after his father. The only thing that really stood out to the kit was the strong scent of clan cats everywhere they walked.

Blizzardclaw guided them deeper into the forest; cautiously retracing his steps to find the buried prey he had caught before going to see his mate. Frozenkit couldn't believe how much prey the warrior had hunted! So far, his father had a squirrel and a pair of mice dangling securely in his jaws. He never knew catching that much was possible since Feather hardly ever showed her catches to him and his littermates. The she-cat preferred eating her meals on the spot when she hunted. Occasionally, she'd bring back small morsels to share with them or she'd eat her catch in the den when she'd feel the need to be there to protect them.

"How much more did you catch?" Frozenkit eventually asked as Blizzardclaw set down the prey he was carrying and began to dig around a tree's trunk.

"Well I caught that squirrel you tasted with Mist and Frost," Blizzardclaw reminded him, still digging. "I also caught a thrush and another mouse. Both of those should be right… here," he purred, revealing the two pieces of prey he had hidden.

Frozenkit peered over his father's paws in astonishment. "You caught so much!" he breathed in awe.

"That's because I have to help hunt for the entire clan," Blizzardclaw explained while picking up the bird and rodent.

Frozenkit frowned in confusion. "Why can't you just hunt for yourself? I bet they could hunt for themselves too instead of you having to do so much work!"

Blizzardclaw shook his head. "That wouldn't be very fair to those who can't hunt for themselves, little one. Queens, for example, are too busy taking care of their kits and kits are too young to be out here hunting. Elders sometimes go out to hunt, but it's more respectful to let them rest instead since they've already served the clan for years. Besides, it's not like _I'm_ the one doing _all_ the hunting. There are other warriors helping out," he smiled, setting down the prey by the rest of his catch.

"Oh," Frozenkit mewed. "But nobody would ever hunt for Mommy! She'd have to do it by herself _and_ take care of us!" he protested.

Blizzardclaw twitched his whiskers. "Your mother doesn't live in a clan."

Frozenkit blinked at this before flattening his ears in embarrassment. "I forgot about that part…"

Blizzardclaw let out a purr of amusement and licked the kit's ear. "Everything will make more sense once you begin living a clan life. Now could you help me carry some of this back?" he questioned, motioning to the prey with his tail. "I'd be fine with some extra help from a strong warrior…but I think you could still do it," he teased.

"Of course I can!" Frozenkit exclaimed, pouncing on the recently dug-up mouse. He carefully picked it up by its scruff before smiling up at Blizzardclaw.

"Wonderful!" Blizzardclaw purred. "Now we don't have to make two trips!" He grasped the three mice and the squirrel back in his jaws before crouching beside the thrush. Expertly, he pawed the bird closer to his chest before snatching it up under his chin. He flicked his tail at Frozenkit before he began to pad off again. "We're almost there!" he muffled through a mouthful of fur.

Frozenkit couldn't help but purr in amusement as he scampered after him. Though his father looked ridiculous with all that prey dangling from him, Frozenkit couldn't help but admire the skill he had with hunting and handling his prey. _'I have to find a way to be just like him!'_ he thought in determination.

* * *

"Feather, Feather, Feather," Thorn sighed disappointingly as he pinned the she-cat to the ground. "You sure do have yourself in a lot of trouble!"

Feather growled threateningly as she struggled beneath the tom. '_Why are you so heavy!?'_ she thought with a huff. The truth was Feather wasn't in the best physical shape. She wasn't overweight by any means, but she had not fought in a battle in over six moons since she had her kits.

"Let me up, Thorn!" the she-cat demanded with a hiss. She couldn't be trapped like this when the kits were defenseless and alone in the den! What if Storm had tagged along with Thorn and was waiting for the perfect moment to strike? The thought made Feather struggle harder under the tom's grasp.

"I can't let you up," Thorn frowned, pressing harder on her shoulders with his front paws. "If I did, you probably wouldn't listen to me."

"I don't want to listen to you!" Feather snapped, her chin digging into the dirt beneath her. Now that he was holding her down firmly, her body was practically flat against the ground.

"Yes you do, especially since I'm here to help you!" Thorn argued back with a growl.

"Yeah right you're here to help me," Feather muttered. "I know you've just been searching for me this whole time to help Storm. No need to act like you're not!"

Thorn hesitated. "What you say is true…but I've decided I want to help you more than Storm," he responded, hopping off the she-cat's back.

Quick as lightning, Feather got to her paws. She shook out her long fur before glaring at Thorn. "What are you talking about…?" she asked sternly, her tail lashing.

Thorn slowly sat beside her, his claws sheathed and his brown fur flat. "Feather, I've always had feelings for you," he sighed, glancing at the she-cat with his yellow eyes.

Feather narrowed her eyes, still suspicious though she knew it was true. "And…?"

"And that's why I want to help keep you safe from Storm! He's been brewing up terrible fates for your family and he'll make his ideas a reality if he finds out Blizzardclaw is the father!" the tom exclaimed before flattening his ears sadly. "Blizzardclaw is the father…right?"

Feather stiffened as she stood beside him. There was sincerity in Thorn's voice when he spoke but could she really trust him? Especially now when he was only a whisker away from being able to reveal the truth to her father? Sighing, she slowly nodded her head. "Yes he is, Thorn. Blizzardclaw is my mate and the father of my kits," she mewed.

Thorn's eyes widened slightly. She had just told him what he needed to gain power from Storm! Though it made his heartbeats quicken with excitement, he knew he could never betray Feather. Thorn had desperately wanted to get revenge after all the pain she had caused him, but what satisfaction would he get from letting Storm kill her kits and mate? He'd personally rather kill a regular clan cat than the one Feather loved.

His emotions were causing his tail to curl up. Eventually, he responded with a nod. "I see…well he's a fine warrior, especially in battle," he complimented. He had faced off with the silver tom before in fights.

"I know," Feather sighed again. "Now, how do you propose on helping me…?"

Thorn perked his ears. "Well I told you to leave the territory, remember? That was an idea I thought up with before I decided to help you, but it's still the best option for you at the moment."

Feather nodded in agreement. "That's what I was planning on doing today. I was going to rest up with the kits first though but then you came along…"

"Err yes I did," Thorn meowed in embarrassment. "But Storm wouldn't get out of my fur until he saw me start searching for you. I suspected that you were leaving the territory when we both found your den empty, but Storm thought you were meeting up with your mate. I guess he was right," he mused.

"Do you know if he's around…?" Feather quickly questioned, angst gnawing at her stomach.

"I'm pretty sure he went back to his den after I told him I'd go looking," he assured her. "Good thing I found you now. He expects me to report back to him by tomorrow so we still have plenty of time to get you and your kits out of here."

"Yes, I would like to leave now," Feather stated, not wanting to waste any more time.

"Then let me tell you what I'm going to do," Thorn replied as he stood back up. "You go round up your kits and start off to wherever you're heading. I'm going to go back to your den and patrol around there for fresh scents of any rogues or Storm. If I find any, I'll find a way to hold them off since they'll probably be looking for you."

"I thought you were Storm's last spy though!" the she-cat protested.

"You think he trusts one cat to find you at this point?" Thorn snorted. "He'll probably have the whole band of his followers searching if he doubts me in the least."

"True…" Feather agreed. She then began to shift on her paws. "But what about _you_, Thorn? My father will kill you if he finds out you helped me get away…"

"No, Feather," the brown tom shook his head. "He'll kill me because I'll tell him I didn't find you. Don't worry though; I'm fully aware of the risk I'm taking with helping you out. I'll figure something out when the time comes. For now, go awaken your kits. I'll be on my way to your den," he concluded.

Feather gave him a look of gratitude. "Thank you, Thorn," she meowed with a dip of her head. "This means a lot, especially since I sort of broke your heart…"

Thorn flicked his tail. "Don't worry about that," he lied with a purr. "I do have one question before I leave though."

"What is it?" Feather tilted her head curiously.

"Why was Blizzardclaw taking one of your kits with him?" Thorn ventured in confusion.

Feather blinked at him. "We knew our relationship was going to be difficult after the kits came so we decided on letting our first born live in Fogclan," she began. "He'll have a better chance of living now since Storm won't be prowling around Fogclan territory looking for him. Plus Blizzardclaw gets to have one of his kits living with him which I'm sure is making him happy," Feather ended with a smile.

"I see," Thorn responded, hiding his sadness deep within his pelt. "Well, we better start moving now, Feather. Sticking around in one place for so long could be dangerous!"

Feather nodded silently before padding over to his side. She touched her nose to his cheek before meowing, "Good luck, Thorn and thanks again. I'm sorry things didn't turn out differently between us. You really are a great cat," she meowed earnestly.

"Yes, but obviously not great enough," he mumbled, slipping away from her touch.

Feather watched as he padded away from the fallen oak tree and headed off into the undergrowth. She stood there until the vegetation stopped its rustling from Thorn padding through and his dark, brown pelt was well out of sight. Swishing her tail, Feather headed back into the fox burrow to awaken her kits. As she did, she was unaware that her mate and her son had reached Fogclan's camp entrance.

* * *

"There's nothing to be afraid of," Blizzardclaw tried to reassure his son.

Both of them had set down the prey they had been carrying and were now standing in front of the camp's entrance. Frozenkit's eyes were wide with fear and worry. The thicket in front of him had a dark, circular opening in the center of it which seemed to open up to a tunnel. His father had told him it served as the clan's camp entrance and exit. The dirt and ground around the entrance was compacted and hard, indicating many cats had walked over the area. Frozenkit wasn't that scared of the entrance itself since it reminded him of a den's entrance; he could easily walk through that if he wanted to. Frightening him instead were all the sounds and scents coming out of the dark tunnel.

They weren't _too_ loud, but all the voices were a little overwhelming for the kit. So were all the scents! Frozenkit felt as though his nose would fall right off his muzzle from all the scents mixing in it every time he took a breath. If he wasn't feeling homesick before, he was certainly feeling it now.

"Dad…I don't want to go in there!" Frozenkit mewed, his ears flat.

"I'll be right behind you," Blizzardclaw gently mewed back. "And remember what we talked about."

"Oh yeah," Frozenkit mumbled. As they had drawn closer to the camp, Blizzardclaw had warned his son not to call him his father from that point on. He had told Frozenkit they'd be in huge trouble if the clan found out they were related to one another. Frozenkit had tried to question why but Blizzardclaw said he'd explain it to him when he was older. In a way, the kit had been relieved since he was already confused enough.

"Nobody is going to hurt you, Frozenkit," Blizzardclaw added as he tried to nudge the kit towards the entrance. "Clan cats love kits!"

"No!" Frozenkit gasped as he felt his father pushing him. He quickly hopped to the side and scrambled off, stopping eventually to stand beside their pile of prey.

The warrior let out a sigh. "What if I carry you? Then you wouldn't have to go first. We'd go in at exactly the same time," he bribed.

Frozenkit sat down shakily as he thought it over. "Okay…" he eventually agreed, knowing he had no other choices.

"Good," Blizzardclaw meowed in relief as he padded over to him. "I'll get the prey later," he told Frozenkit before reaching down and carefully picking the kit up by the scruff.

Frozenkit let his limbs dangle limply beneath him as Blizzardclaw began to carry him back towards the entrance. He could feel his young heart beating madly in his chest and the blood beginning to pound in his ears as they entered the thicket's tunnel. All was dark for a moment before a flash of sunlight greeted them at Blizzardclaw padded out of the tunnel. That's when Frozenkit closed his eyes tightly which in a way, made him feel invisible to the things around him.

"Blizzardclaw is that you!?" gasped a voice that made Frozenkit perk his ears in surprise. The cat sounded young and possibly a she-cat by the tone it had used. Frozenkit then heard the mystery cat's paws scramble towards them, making him clench his eyelids tighter over his eyes. Feeling Blizzardclaw nod his head, Frozenkit heard the cat speak again.

"Where have you been!? We thought a rogue got you!" the cat exclaimed. Frozenkit knew the cat brushed itself against his father when he felt a tail tip tickle over his dangling paws. "And who is that?" the cat then asked curiously. Frozenkit suspected instantly it was talking about him, especially when he felt a cold nose sniffing at his pelt.

"Tansypaw, could you get Streamstar for me?" Blizzardclaw spoke through Frozenkit's fur. "I promise to tell you everything after I have spoken to her."

"Sure!" the mystery cat revealed to be Tansypaw agreed. "She's in her den talking with Ashcloud. They were thinking about sending a search party to find you, but no need for that anymore!" Tansypaw purred before Frozenkit heard her paw steps fade away.

Curiosity became stronger than his fear as Frozenkit slowly blinked open his eyes. What he saw astonished him. It was a giant clearing scattered with cats of all different colors, shapes, and sizes all around it! Turning his head to look behind Blizzardclaw, he saw the thicket and the tunnel they had gone through. He realized then that the thicket fenced around the entire clearing and had protective brambles and thistles growing through it. Looking up, Frozenkit saw the crowns of towering trees surrounding the clearing. Perfectly in the center of them was the sky, bright and blue thanks to it being sun-high. Fear suddenly engulfed his curiosity as cats began to approach them. They all began meowing things that sounded similar to what Tansypaw had said earlier to his father.

"Blizzardclaw! We were so worried!"

"Did a rogue hold you captive for the night!?"

"Where in Starclan's name did you find that kit…!?"

Frozenkit had closed his eyes by then, being overwhelmed again by all the scents and voices of the cats. He was impressed by how much these cats seemed to care about Blizzardclaw even though he didn't react to any of their comments. Instead, Frozenkit felt his father sit down, his jaws still clamped securely over his scruff as the cats sniffed them over curiously.

Suddenly, a she-cat's voice rang through the clearing. "Give him some space!"

Immediately, Frozenkit sensed the cats step away from him and Blizzardclaw. He even heard some of them pad away while murmuring to each other quietly. The cat that had made the others go away was approaching the both of them. Frozenkit could tell this cat apart from the others from her distinct scent that wasn't like the others he had smelled earlier.

"Blizzardclaw," she greeted coolly. Her tone made Frozenkit relax and get nervous at the same time. Something special seemed to be radiating off this cat. She definitely seemed important.

"Greetings, Streamstar," Frozenkit listened as his father replied.

"I'm getting the feeling that you have a lot to tell me about," the cat named Streamstar meowed. "Come to my den and bring the kit with you. We'll speak there," she ordered in a crisp voice before walking away from them.

Frozenkit felt himself begin to sway limply in the air as Blizzardclaw followed after the she-cat. What would her den be like? Would it look just like the one he had lived in or more like the fox burrow? Curiosity began to burn its way through his pelt again, but Frozenkit forced himself to keep his eyes closed shut. The only reason he didn't open them was because he felt dread seeping out of Blizzardclaw's pelt like blood as his paw steps began to grow stiff. Something had to be wrong!

* * *

**A/N: I was in a great mood today because Andy Murray won the gold medal in the tennis finals today! :'D So I whipped up this chapter in celebration! Hope you liked it! :)**


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